Scott Wykoff's Blog

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sweet Action

There was plenty of sweet action to go around at Laurel Park on Maryland Million Day.

"Maryland's Day at the Races" lived up to it's billing. Just ask anyone in the crowd of 23,367 who turned out at the track on the picture perfect fall afternoon.

Back to that theme of sweet action. There was no sweeter action at the 25th Jim McKay Million than 58 to 1 long shot My Sweet Nenana. Pictured at the top of this blog with 21-year-old jockey Christopher Ho, Daniel T. O’Ryan’s filly sprung an upset in the Maryland Million Ladies, leading from start to finish.

Now here's the sweet action. Do the math. Going off at better than 58 - 1 odds, the Maryland-bred lady made plenty of Maryland Million goers at Laurel Park plenty happy at the betting windows. The win payout was the largest in the 25-year history of the Maryland Million, $30 more than Missy White Oak in the 1991 Lassie.

And it was a Maryland Million to remember for Christopher Ho (above). You might say it was a coming of age for the apprentice jockey who won his first stakes race the second-most important racing day in the state after the Preakness. Not to shabby.

And that was just one of the 11 races on the first Saturday in October on the card at the historic track off of Routes 1 and 198 in Laurel. Think of all the other stories that jockeys, trainers and owners have to tell after their trips to the winner's circle during the big day of racing.

It's hard to believe it has been 25 years since Jim McKay came up with the idea for a day if racing in the "Land of Pleasant Living" for horses sired by Maryland-based stallions for combined purses totaling more than a million dollars.

It's also hard to believe it has been more than 2 years now since we lost the legendary sports broadcaster, Maryland horseman and all around great guy. It was great to see his daughter (pictured above) Mary McManus Guba in the winner's circle on her father's behalf.

As I walked around the grandstand and the track apron during Maryland Million Day, I marvelled at how, to a person, each and everyone I saw looked the was no other place where they would rather had been on the spectacular fall day. Take it from this blogger, it was a thrill to be there.

There is no other day quite like Preakness Day at Pimlico. That said, Maryland Million Day at Laurel really does live up to it's billing as "Maryland's Dat at the Races". A day for young and old to share at the track.

Jim McKay put it best when he told me 5 years ago on the 20th anniversary of the Maryland Million that, "This is Maryland's day. It's all about Maryland."

Didn't Jim McKay always have the knack for saying just the right thing. That's what made him a national icon as the host of Wide World of Sports and a beloved Marylander whose legacy lives on with the Maryland Million.